Lakeland Police Department said there has been a slight uptick golf cart thefts but as long as residents are not making it easy for thieves to simply drive off with their property.
“Golf carts are one of those items people just park in their driveways and don’t think about,” LPD spokesperson Robin Tillett said. “We hate to see that because most of these (victims) are seniors.”
Six golf carts were reported stolen from Ariana Street addresses in Woodbrook Estates between Nov. 4 and Dec. 14.
In addition to two juveniles arrested in connection to three golf cart thefts, LPD last week issued an arrest warrant for man suspected in at least seven other apparently unrelated thefts since early November, Tillett said.
According to affidavits filed by LPD Detective Adam Woodring, he was assigned to investigate the burglary of a golf cart charger at 1510 Ariana St.
LPD offers these tips to better secure golf carts:
- Always remove the keys from the cart
- Consider securing cart with a locked chain
- Block cart in with a vehicle
- Equip cart with an airtag or GPS tracking device
- Make sure the area where cart is parked is well-lit
- Document the cart’s year, make, and model and VIN number. Include a current photo without decorations.